People with type 2 diabetes have a different balance of bacteria in their digestive system than do people without the disease, new research indicates. Chinese researchers conducted what's known as a metagenome-wide association study on microbes found in the gut to determine how they might be different in people with type 2 diabetes. They identified more than 60,000 markers, or indicators, associated with type 2 diabetes. And, they found that people with type 2 diabetes had an abundance of potentially harmful bacteria, and a reduction in the amount of helpful microbes.